Welcome

Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and
others concerned about HIV/AIDS. Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the
conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning: Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive
and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a
username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own
physician.

All members of these forums are, by default, not considered to be licensed medical providers. If otherwise, users must clearly define themselves as such.

Forums members must behave at all times with respect and honesty. Posting guidelines, including time-out and banning policies, have been established by the moderators
of these forums. Click here for “Am I Infected?” posting guidelines. Click here for posting guidelines pertaining to all other POZ community forums.

We ask all forums members to provide references for health/medical/scientific information they provide, when it is not a personal experience being discussed. Please
provide hyperlinks with full URLs or full citations of published works not available via the Internet. Additionally, all forums members must post information which are
true and correct to their knowledge.

Finished Reading This? You can collapse this or any other box on this page by clicking the
symbol in each box.

Welcome to Am I Infected

Welcome to the "Am I Infected?" POZ forum.

New members -- those who have posted three or fewer messages -- are permitted to post questions and responses, free of charge (make them count!). Ongoing participation in the "Am I Infected?" forum -- posting more than three questions or responses -- requires a paid subscription.

A seven-day subscription is $9.99, a 30-day subscription is $14.99 and a 90-day subscription is $24.99.

Anyone who needs to post more than three messages in the "Am I Infected?" forum -- including past, present and future POZ Forums members -- will need to subscribe, with secure payments made via PayPal.

There will be no charge to continue reading threads in the "Am I Infected?" forum, nor will there be a charge for participating in any of the Main Forums; Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits; and Off Topic Forums. Similarly, all POZ pages, including our "HIV Transmission and Risks" and "Am I Infected? (A Guide to Testing for HIV)" basics, will remain accessible to all.

NOTE: HIV testing questions will still need to be posted in the "Am I Infected?" forum; attempts to post HIV symptoms or testing questions in any other forums will be considered violations of our rules of membership and subject to time-outs and permanent bans.

To learn how to upgrade your Forums account to participate beyond three posts in the "Am I Infected?" Forum, please click here.

Thank you for your understanding and future support of the best online support service for people living with, affected by and at risk for HIV.

Author
Topic: 8 weeks since expsure (Read 9275 times)

Its been 8 weeks since my possible exposure.I am male and my exposure was unprotected vaginal with asex worker in China.I have posted on other web sites but would like some more clarification from others.

I have tested at 18 days Elisa neg and 42 days HIV Duo neg.I have read that 6 weeks is conclusive from some docs which puts me at ease for a bit after my 6 weeks test.

But on week 7 I developed a slight rise in temp 98-99 with a cough for about a week, just as my cough was clearing up, for a couple of mornings, I had bright green phlegm. Also on my back and chest I have developed some spots which are itchy throughout the day and especially after a hot shower. I do suffer from ezcema but I have never really visually paid much attention to my skin until now

1) I do understand ARS normally come at 2-4 weeks, could ARS start as late as week 7.2) Does ARS rash itch.

I am waitting for week 12 to have my final test but would like some reassurances in the meantime.

Everybody wants to get all hung up on symptoms this and symptoms that. I sometimes wish we could delete all this chatter about symptoms altogether. They vary from person to person- with some experiencing none of them at all and others rather severely. Furthermore, different people experience different symptoms (in the ones that do show them). Therefore, the discussion is symptoms is useless...so forget about it. You are likely negative from this incident you describe- especially in light of your most recent negative result. The only thing you can really do is hold out for the appropriate conclusive test at 12-13 weeks post exposure.

(And the average body temp is 98.6 Your rise in temp is so slight as to barely warrant mention. The skin thing is most likely just your eczema. You're just paying more attention to it since you are letting yourself get all worked up. The phlegm thing? Everybody gets something like that from time to time. Relax.

I know symptoms vary from people to people and its probably the most most annoying question.To tell the truth, up until now I have never examined my body as much, its just that after my event, anything unsual that happens to my body, I panic.With the cough and flu thing, I knows its winter and its the time of year. I try to be logival but my mind just gets the better of me.

My anxieties just go up and down like a yoyo. For days I've left my anxieties behind but then all of a sudden it goes into overdrive.

Neither the presence nor the absence of symptoms is ever the way to know reliably about your HIV status in relation to a risky incident.

All but the smallest number of those who are going to seroconvert will do so within 4-6 weeks after an exposure to the HIV virus. So your negative at 6 weeks or more than reassuring. Given it was single incident I expect you will continue to test negative. Follow the CDC recommendation, re-test at 13 weeks and collect what I expect will be another negative result.

If your symptoms persist discuss them with your doctor. And most importantly, learn from this incident. You've apparently scooted by safely. In the future whenever you have intercourse make sure you're wearing a latex condom. Everytime. No exceptions.

Sorry to post again.After reading HIV? poz about being neg posting, I'm starting to get worried again.I realise symptons can be anything but from what he describes, I look at my body arms and back and I too have small reddish spots which are itchy, which becomes dry like exzcema when scratched and eventually leaves brownish mark like surnburnt. I experinced these spots after 7 weeks of possible exposure and they continually pop up on my arms and back one at a time. I'm not not sure if they are ARS rashes as ars rashes are not suppose to be itchy as far as I've been told.

I'm only 3 weeks from my 12 weeks definitive test and the anxiety has built up and up over the weeks.I have had protected sex with my wife since my possible exposure and this week, week 9 she has developed a mouth ulcer of which I've never seen her have before. She does not know about my possible exposure and I am really worried I may have transmitted something to her.

I have tested at 18 days and 6 weeks, can I just be suffering from stress and my wifes ulcer be a coincident.I have not had a fever and I am not a IV or drug user.Can someone please supply me with more assurances before my final test as I am extremly worried.

You have already tested negative for HIV at 6 weeks. Given that you had a single possible exposure, (you don't even know the sex worker was HIV+ of course), and a negative at 6 weeks points the way to almost certainly testing negative again at 13 weeks.

So this is really about guilt and stuff going on in your head. Absolutely nothing you have describe is suggestive of HIV infection. But of course right now you are anxiously watching and looking for any "signs" that your worst fears have come true. There is of course no basis in HIV science for this, but your head doesn't care about that.

You're a dog who strayed like the rest of us. You can't undo that. Take a breath and let it go. That's the best thing you can do for all concerned. I expect you to continue to test negative.

Sorry to post again.After reading HIV? poz about being neg posting, I'm starting to get worried again.I realise symptons can be anything but from what he describes, I look at my body arms and back and I too have small reddish spots which are itchy, which becomes dry like exzcema when scratched and eventually leaves brownish mark like surnburnt. I experinced these spots after 7 weeks of possible exposure and they continually pop up on my arms and back one at a time. I'm not not sure if they are ARS rashes as ars rashes are not suppose to be itchy as far as I've been told.

After reading his post...do you recall what we told him? SO why would his situation concern you? He didnt have it either!

Logged

LIFE is not a race to the grave with the intention of arriving safelyin a pretty and well-preserved body, but, rather to skid in broadside,thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming--WOW! WHAT ARIDE!!!

I've just had my 12 week test at my local GUM clinic and am waitting for my results, which should be out this friday.I've tested at 18 days, 6 weeks and 10 weeks 5 day. My concern is that on week 10 I began to come down with the flu and so I had a test at 10 weeks and 5 days and the day after I had bed riden flu with a high temp, muscle pains with a wet cough for the next few days.ARS does not come on this late, as this is what I keep telling myself, but its the one sympton which scares me the most.

Also if my results come back neg, I can take that is as conclusive, as symptons mean nothing over testing even if I had flu symptons 1 week prior to my final test.Sorry for the unceraintainty, its just that I do not what to put my wifes life at risk from my mistake.

Sometimes having flu symptoms just means you have the flu. There's been plenty going around this winter (I'm also in the UK). With all those negative test results so far, you can be confident of another one for your conclusive.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts